


Mr. Reassuring

by beatboxbmo



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: IMPlied oisuga, M/M, Slight fluff, kind of, maybe a little ooc oikawa, oisuga
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-05
Updated: 2014-09-05
Packaged: 2018-02-16 06:25:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2259330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beatboxbmo/pseuds/beatboxbmo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Up and coming actor Tooru Oikawa is in the middle of filming before a storm hits and forces him and his crew to retreat into the hotel. Later that night when it seems as though the worst has passed, Oikawa just wants to move around and get a bite to eat. Unfortunately, as he's descending in the elevator, the power goes out and the elevator stops. He's trapped for a time with none other than Koushi Sugawara to keep him company.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mr. Reassuring

**Author's Note:**

> sooo ! this is my first fanfic in like a decade so I hope it's okay :s be gentle be harsh I just hope you like it ;-; comments and kudos are appreciated and if you ever want to reach me you can do so at [my tumblr](http://beatboxbmo.tumblr.com) ^^

Tooru Oikawa never expected to fall in love.

He was selfish and arrogant and knew no one would ever be good enough for him. Anyone who tried to get close to him was too needy, too weak, too obsessed--not about being with him, but about being a part of the attention that came with being Tooru Oikawa's new partner.

And for the longest time, Oikawa was perfectly happy letting his string of lovers attempt to use him for their own personal gain. He saw no harm in it and occasionally he even played along. But eventually he grew tired of the games and cast them aside.

Oikawa didn't know when he first became lonely.

One night he did notice, though, that he cared little for the man sleeping next to him. It'd barely been three weeks and Oikawa had been in the middle of filming, so that left little time to get to know his current partner, but he was struck by the fact that he didn't know the man's first name. He debated with himself that it didn't matter, that sometimes he even forgot his friend's names. But it still bothered him. Usually by the end of two weeks, Oikawa knew everything he needed to know about the person and whether or not he wanted to keep them around longer. He usually didn't. So the next day, Oikawa was single once more.

It happened quite often after that. He'd wake in the middle of the night and stare at whoever was in bed beside him, his mind racing as to why he figured that this person just might outlast all the others. And in the morning, he'd be single again.

Sometime in the span of three boyfriends and two girlfriends, he'd realized he didn't care about them. They didn't help anymore. And beneath the frustration of not being with someone, he realized he was lonely.

And that bothered him more than not knowing any of their first names.

It wasn't physical contact that he wanted, he knew that. He didn't know exactly what it was that he did want, but the men and women that flocked to his side were never able to provide him with the mystery he was searching for.

In the middle of shooting a scene for Oikawa's newest movie, a movie that would hopefully give him the break he so needed to really make it big, a storm hit and forced production to cease and everyone to retreat back into the hotel. People were urged not to leave the building as news reports of flooded streets and down public transportation was broadcasted to small handheld radios the staff carried, as well as a majority of the news channels on television.

Oikawa didn't care. He cursed the storm and holed himself up in his room while his manager tried to coax him out so they could go over his schedule. Oikawa kept his mouth shut and the lights turned off. All he wanted now was peace and quiet after the busy day he'd had. In a twisted way, he was glad the storm had halted the shooting. He was getting fed up with his costar who never knew her lines and would only stutter her way through them when she did manage to remember. He tried to keep smiling past it all and encourage her that she was doing just fine, that everyone started somewhere, but he couldn't take much more of it.

Eventually his manager left and Oikawa was left to roll around his bed with his scattered thoughts and dark room, somehow falling asleep.

When he awoke, he realized how quiet it was. Rising from the bed and opening the curtains, he saw that it really was dark now, but the sky seemed clear and the rain was gone. There was nothing but a slight wind now.

He washed his face and changed his shirt, his legs shaking with the need to move around. He made sure to pocket his room key but left his phone behind, not wanting anyone to be able to reach him for awhile, before leaving the room and heading straight for the elevators. There was a diner across the street that didn't look like much, but he'd take the overpriced meals over hotel food any day.

The elevator took forever to arrive, and when it did, Oikawa paused when he saw it was already occupied. A silver-haired young man around Oikawa's age stood in the far left corner, his eyes upturned, watching the floor numbers click by. Instead of offering his usual sly smile to the other occupant, Oikawa lowered his head to hide the scowl that crawled across his face. He quickly pressed the button for the bottom floor and stayed right in front of the control panel.

Neither of them moved or said a word while the elevator descended. They had been fourteen stories up, and just as they had passed the eighth floor, the power went out. The elevator jolted as the cables snapped in place, and Oikawa was thrown into the control panel, where his nose took the brunt of the force. When he finally regained his balance, his fingers touched his nose gently to make sure it wasn't broken. It just throbbed and there wasn't any blood.

"Are you alright? That didn't sound good."

Oikawa glanced over his shoulder, but in the darkness, he couldn't see the other man.

He nodded. "I'm fine. The control panel stopped my fall."

"Ouch," the other said.

Oikawa turned so he could tuck himself into the corner, hoping that if the elevator jerked again, he wouldn't go falling into anything face first.

He didn't want to panic. The storm must have returned is all, and eventually, the backup generators would kick in and the elevator would be functioning and he'd be able to get out of this death trap and get the fresh air he needed. There was no way Tooru Oikawa was going to die in some freak elevator accident.

Suddenly the space was filled with a blinding light. Oikawa had to close his eyes and glance away, and when he was able to adjust to the brightness, he saw the other occupant smiling at him.

"Sorry for the light," he said. He pointed towards Oikawa. "Do you mind if I could look at that?"

Stunned, all Oikawa could do was nod and peel himself out of the corner. The other man lit up the control board and studied the buttons, and as Oikawa watched, he pressed the last button on the bottom, where in red all it said was CALL.

But nothing happened. The man pressed it a few more times before sighing and retreating back to his corner. He offered Oikawa another smile. "Sorry, but it seems like the service call won't work without the power on."

Oikawa jerked his head at the phone. "Why don't you just call the staff or something to get us out of here?"

The other shrugged and rubbed the back of his head. "I have no service. A telephone line must be down somewhere."

Oikawa turned away. Just great. The one time he left his phone behind and he could have seriously used it. He might also not have gotten service, but just having it would have made everything better. He sighed, but when he breathed back in, it didn't feel right. He tried again, and again, and soon realized that he couldn't breathe, that his lungs weren't filling with air, that maybe, just maybe, he would die in this death trap.

"Hey, hey!" the stranger surged forward and placed a hand on Oikawa's shoulder. "Hey, it's going to be okay. If the generators don't come on soon then the elevators will slowly start to descend until they reach the bottom floor and then the doors will open. It's a safety measure a lot of buildings have. Everything's going to be fine."

From this close up, all Oikawa could see were the man's hazel eyes and his smile. He was so calm and so sure that everything would be fine. His grip on Oikawa's shoulder tightened as they continued to stare at one another, and after a moment, Oikawa could feel his breathing start to return to normal.

"There, see? Everything's going to be alright." he pulled away and Oikawa was left to slump against the wall. He closed his eyes and forced himself to breathe slowly. He was suddenly very glad that his manager or someone who know who he was wasn't around to know that the ever calm and cool Tooru Oikawa just had a panic attack. It wouldn't be a very flattering header.

"How do you know about that? About the elevators, I mean?" Oikawa asked. He opened his eyes and waited for the stranger to speak.

He tilted his head to the side and shrugged. "After some students of mine got stuck in an elevator once, I decided to read up on all sorts of safety measures to take for any sort of event. Like, you have a 64% chance of surviving an airplane emergency if you were sitting in an aisle seat, compared to a 58% chance if you were sitting by the window. It's not entirely accurate and of course, that's not always the case, but I thought it was interesting. And nearly half of flash flood deaths occur in vehicles as they are swept away. Six inches of rushing water is enough to knock a person down, and at least two feet of water is enough to move a vehicle."

Oikawa just stared at the other man. His eyes were unfocused on something on the ceiling while he prattled on about other statistics and safety facts. Oikawa couldn't help but wonder how this stranger could keep all that information tucked away inside his head.

"A lot of those are really depressing." Oikawa interjected. The man startled before shrugging.

"Yeah. Good things don't really make interesting facts though."

Oikawa racked his mind, for some reason needing to prove that there was such a thing as an interesting, good statistic. But for someone who never watched the news or read anything unless it dealt with him, Oikawa was stumped.

"Well, damn," he muttered. The stranger raised an eyebrow.

Oikawa smirked. "I was going to one up you with something good, but I have nothing."

"Ah, well, no worries. Good things do happen in the world."

"Except not right now." Oikawa paused. "I thought you said the lift would descend?"

"It might be an older system where the elevators lower in order. Since we're in the last bank, it might be some time before ours starts to move."

Oikawa felt his lungs constrict. He could feel himself starting to panic again. He closed his eyes and mouth and tried to breathe slowly. If word got out that he had not one, but two panic attacks, there was a chance he'd never be taken seriously again.

"Why don't you have a seat?"

Oikawa opened his eyes to see the stranger already sitting on the floor, his legs crisscrossed in front of him. Oikawa raised a brow but sat down nonetheless. The stranger placed his phone in the middle of them, screen up and brightly illuminating the cabin. The light was starting to hurt Oikawa's eyes, but he couldn't deny the fact that the stranger's calming presence helped.

The stranger thrust out a hand. "I'm Sugawara."

"Oikawa." they shook. And then, "So you're a teacher."

Sugawara shook his head. "Assistant volleyball coach, actually."

"Interesting." but they could both tell that Oikawa didn't find it that interesting. Volleyball was a weak sport. He'd never played or even really watched a game, but what was the point to it? All you did was throw a ball over a net.

The awkward silence seemed to stretch on forever. Sugawara occasionally checked his phone and Oikawa cursed himself for not bringing his.

Finally, Oikawa sighed. "So what's an assistant volleyball coach doing out here?"

Sugawara leaned against the wall behind him. "We're in the middle of doing a practice match with a nearby school. Usually we just take the train back, but with the weather, the coach and I thought it best if we made it an overnighter."

"Sounds like a good idea," Oikawa mumbled.

"What about you?"

Sugawara had his head tilted while he waited for Oikawa's answer. Oikawa couldn't tell if Sugawara knew who he was or not, and unlike what he usually did, Oikawa did not flat out say that he was an actor. Instead, he glanced away and simply said, "Work."

"Do you like work?"

Oikawa shrugged. "It has its perks." those perks being recognition and leeway. Attention and not to mention, money. He didn't make a lot, not really, not yet, but it was enough. And for a moment, Oikawa wondered why he even started acting in the first place. Maybe it was just for the attention, for the spotlight. He started out in school plays that eventually led him to a private drama school, and before he could graduate to a university, his manager had found him. Iwaizumi had been a constant headache in his life ever since.

"If you could do anything else, would you?"

"Why all the questions about my job?" Oikawa sneered at Sugawara and stood up, needing to move. But the space was small and he took one step before meeting a wall. He wanted to rip his hair out.

"I'm... just trying to make small talk is all."

"Well cut it out already."

The side most people saw of Tooru Oikawa was one full of grins and sly glances. He was known as a smooth seducer and a wisecrack chatterbox. No one could say no to him when he gave them his full attention. People thought they actually liked him.

But the side that Oikawa tried to keep hidden was full of taunts and curled lips. The people who worked with him day in and day out tended to not like him. His manager Iwaizumi was just as hotheaded and aggressive, so they got along just fine on good days. There was something about the real Tooru Oikawa that just wasn't appealing. His many partners somehow seemed to glance past it all, probably too doped up on the spotlight, but Oikawa could never hide that part of himself, and that bothered him.

Sugawara was slumped in the corner, his eyes looking everywhere but at Oikawa. All Oikawa could focus on though, was the fact that there wasn't enough room in here. There wasn't enough space and his legs were teeming with energy and his chest was feeling tight again. He felt like he was spinning out of control and mixed in with the helpless feeling lapping around his mind, right under the surface of it all was anger.

He stopped pacing and pressed his head against the nearest wall. Okay, so, he was angry. Why? Was it all the filming? Was it his costars who never managed to keep their lines down and never seemed to stay serious about it all? Was he pissed at the storm for halting production which in turn would drag the whole thing out even more? Was he pissed at his manager who kept thrusting him into roles that would never lead anywhere? Was he pissed at the string of people that crawled into his bed that never really cared for him?

That last one had him shaking his head. He couldn't entirely blame them. They were stupid and didn't mean anything, but they weren't necessarily the problem. It was him. He knew he was fucked up for some reason, and he knew he tried to keep it in tact, but that didn't always happened. Rage built up and he exploded and took it out on unsuspecting people. Or others got tired of his avoiding the real topics of concern. Maybe his jump into acting was so he could escape himself, but after a time, he didn't know what to outrun. All the facades built on top of each other and he didn't even know who he was anymore.

And just like that, he felt defeated. All the energy and anger whooshed out of him as he turned, put his back against the wall, and slid down until he was sitting on the floor once more. After this, filming or not, Oikawa was going to request a very long vacation.

Sugawara finally looked at him. "You okay?"

Oikawa forced out a half laugh. "No."

"I never thought the life of a celebrity could be so taxing."

"Yeah... wait, what?" Oikawa jolted up and glared at Sugawara, who slouched and twitched his lips.

"I wasn't sure when you first walked in, but I bet most people by now have at least heard of the great rising star Tooru Oikawa."

Sugawara was smiling at him, but all Oikawa could feel was sick as he realized that Sugawara had known who he was all this time. There was nothing that would be able to stop the stranger from tattling about Oikawa's breakdown in the elevator. And if the right tabloids heard about it, they'd have a blast.

"Am I not supposed to know who you are?"

Oikawa sighed and banged his head on the wall behind him. The sound seemed to echo. "It doesn't matter."

"If you're worried I'd tell anyone about earlier--I won't."

"There's no way I could stop you if you did."

"Exactly." at that, Oikawa opened his eyes and looked at Sugawara. He smiled. "I mean, I'm sure you could come up with something, but there's really no point in me prattling off to someone. And plus, it would just be plain rude."

They stared at one another for what seemed like forever. And just as Oikawa was about to tell the other man "Thank you", the elevator jolted.

Oikawa was instantly alert, his mind racing with the idea that the cables would snap and they would plummet to their death.

Sugawara grinned at him and stood. "The other elevators must be at the bottom floor now. It'll just be a couple more minutes."

Oikawa stood too and faced the doors. He could feel the elevator moving, much slower than what it usually went, but anything was better than nothing at this point. And if Sugawara was right, then in just minutes he'd be able to get the hell out of here. He could run around if he wanted to.

"So, I won't say anything once the doors open, but it was nice to meet you Oikawa." Sugawara's voice was softly heard over Oikawa's shoulder, and there was something about how quiet he was that had Oikawa's stomach clenching.

He'd been a dick. Sugawara had been nothing but calm and reassuring throughout this miserable hour, or however long they had been trapped in here. Either way, there was no reason why Oikawa should be annoyed with the other man.

"Can I ask you something?" Oikawa whispered.

"Sure, anything you want to know."

Oikawa braced himself. His stomach hurt and there was a flutter in his chest. He could feel himself sweating. He turned to face Sugawara.

"What's your first name?"

Sugawara looked shocked, like no one had ever asked him such a thing. And then he relaxed and that damned smile was back. Oikawa would forever associate Sugawara with smiling.

"It's Koushi."

The elevator jolted again and then there was nothing. Oikawa and Sugawara both turned to face the doors as they slowly opened.

First was the sound, and then the light. Oikawa held up a hand to shield his face before hands reached in and started to pull him out. As he protested, he caught glimpses of firefighters, but when he heard the voice of Iwaizumi, he knew he would be okay.

"Do you have any idea how worried I've been about you?" there was a smack to the back of his head before arms circled him. Oikawa could smell Iwaizumi's cologne.

"Never thought you could feel such a thing," Oikawa joked. They pulled apart and as Oikawa stared at his manager, he felt his lips twitch into a smirk. He was going to be okay.

"Dumbass," Iwaizumi said. "As soon as the power went out I went to go find you, but you weren't in your room and I've been all over this place trying to find you. You're never leaving my sight again, got it?"

"Sure thing," Oikawa offered a grin, but he could feel it slipping. Suddenly, he was very, very tired. The power still seemed to be out and the backup generators still hadn't kicked in, so the lights sweeping across the space and people drifting between them gave the lobby an ominous feel to it. It gave Oikawa the creeps. He had a feeling that if this place still didn't have power, than neither did the diner across the street. He cursed.

Iwaizumi prattled on about safety regulations and how everyone was rounded up on their floor and how Oikawa was to keep his phone on at all times no matter what, and this and that. Oikawa tried to keep focused, but his eyes roamed the lobby looking for a silver-haired stranger.

When he found Sugawara talking to a fireman, Oikawa pulled away from Iwaizumi, ignoring the "Hey, we're not done talking!" and made a beeline through the crowd.

He stopped behind the talking two and tapped Sugawara on the shoulder.

Oikawa took a deep breath. "If it's alright, do you think we could meet up again at some point?"

He kept his eyes focused on Sugawara's form, but in the darkness, it was hard to see what sort emotions or thoughts were crossing the other's face.

"Really? I mean, that'd be awesome! But are you sure?"

Sugawara was now standing closer and Oikawa could see his stretched lips. Oikawa nodded. He was glad it was practically pitch black, because he could feel his face heating up. "Yes. I would like to get to know you some more. I-if you give me your phone, I can give you my number..."

Sugawara was already thrusting his phone into Oikawa's outstretched hand. As Oikawa put in his contact info, he kept wondering when the last time it was that he'd ever pursued anyone. When he was last nervous around anyone. He kept drawing up blanks, and that made his face heat up even more.

He practically threw the phone at Sugawara when he was done. "You can call anytime you want. And we can um, make plans then." he turned and was about to head back over to where Iwaizumi stood talking to someone, but a hand grabbed his shirt.

"I know it wasn't under the most ideal circumstances, but I'm really glad I got to meet you."

For once, Oikawa was at a loss for words. He nodded at Sugawara, who let go of his shirt, and both turned at the same time and went their separate ways. Oikawa figured the other would check with his students to make sure they were all alright. Oikawa kicked himself for not learning more about Sugawara--but that's why he gave him his number, right? So they could eventually get to know one another?

Oikawa met back up with Iwaizumi who told him that if the power wasn't on within the hour, then the generators would for sure be on. They'd still have to climb the stairs back up to their floor, which wasn't something Oikawa was looking forward to, but he'd manage. He managed anything that was thrown his way.

Before he and Iwaizumi left the lobby, Oikawa glanced around once more for the silver-haired stranger. By now there was more activity, more flashlights, and it was almost easy being able to spot the other man surrounded by what looked like high schoolers. Some were in uniform and the rest were in casual wear. All were talking animatedly at Sugawara, who kept that damned smile on his face while he listened.

Tooru Oikawa never expected to fall in love. He wasn't even sure what love was, and he knew he couldn't be feeling it for Sugawara, a person he had just barely met. Not yet at least.

But there was that smile and the fact that Oikawa had asked Sugawara's first name. Koushi. Oikawa could feel his chest flutter. He was determined to remember the name no matter what. He'd write it on his hand if he had to. 

Sugawara was looking up and around and Oikawa stayed where he was, waiting. Sugawara's eyes passed over him twice before they made contact, and this time, it was Oikawa with the smile on his face.

There was a sense of no control as Oikawa nodded and started to retreat up the stairs with his manager. He could feel that he and Sugawara would meet up again, hopefully soon. And for once, he was okay with that loss. When the matter consisted of Koushi Sugawara, Oikawa was perfectly fine relinquishing his control. He thought of how calm and reassuring Sugawara had been when Oikawa had broken down, and he trusted that the other would continue to be so.

It was as Oikawa was climbing flight after flight of stairs that he realized that's what he'd been missing. Calm. Serenity. Whispered tidbits of "It'll be okay" and "Everything will be just fine".

Oikawa paused and glanced over his shoulder. The stairwell was dark except for Iwaizumi's phone leading the way, and Oikawa could feel the walls closing in around him, but he took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Everything he had been wanting was all bundled up in some assistant volleyball coach floors below him, and he doubted the other even knew. If there was even the slightest chance of anything happening between the two, Oikawa would hold on to it.

"Are you coming?"

Iwaizumi was already two floors ahead of him. He was leaning over the railing with his phone held out in front of him. Oikawa blinked up and smirked. "That's what she said."

He couldn't see, but he knew Iwaizumi winced. "You're disgusting. Now hurry the hell up. I'm tired."

"That's what she said," he replied in a sing-song voice.

He could feel himself returning to normal. He quickly caught up with Iwaizumi and the two bantered all the way back to their floor. By the time they reached their rooms, the power had kicked back on. The storm was passing.

"Tomorrow, hell or high-water, we're finishing the shoot." Iwaizumi stood in his doorway and called to Oikawa, who just lifted a hand and waved him off as he tried to open his own door. "I expect you to be on time, and if you're not, I'm kicking your ass!"

Oikawa finally got his key card to work and shoved himself into his room before his manager could say anything more. He heard Iwaizumi call his name before his door slammed shut too.

All Oikawa could do now was drag himself to his bed and reach across the nightstand for his phone. He didn't expect there to be anything waiting for him, but he was pleasantly surprised by a few emails and a single text from an unknown number. He felt himself smiling before he even opened it.

_"It's Koushi."_


End file.
